Akame's face flushed with embarrassment and anger, breathing heavily and drenched in sweat. She bit her soft, red lips and swung her sword chaotically at Kaguya.
Faced with her relentless attacks, Kaguya did not wish to be entangled with her. She focused her eyes, and with a sudden swing of her fair arm, the sword in her hand transformed into a fleeting streak of light, striking toward Akame with lightning speed.
A crisp metallic clash rang out.
The Kusanagi sword accurately struck three inches above the hilt of Akame's sword blade, precisely at the weak point in her grip. Akame felt a tremendous force transmitted through her blade, sending her body flying backward.
Kaguya then stepped down, and in the ripples formed on the ground, she shot forward like an arrow, speeding toward Najenda and Seika.
Noticing this, Najenda turned her head in surprise, seeing the silver-haired girl break free from Akame's entanglement and rapidly approach them. Every time Kaguya lightly tapped her foot, she seemed to glide dozens of meters through the air, as if dancing.
Najenda grew anxious. At this rate, it wouldn't take long for Kaguya to catch up.
Prince Seika also noticed the silver-haired girl closing in behind them. Realizing the gravity of the situation, he quickened his pace. However, due to the exhaustion from his earlier battle with Kaguya and his injuries, he could not run fast enough—he was running on empty.
As the silver-haired girl drew nearer, close enough for them to see her frosty expression and even her fluttering eyelashes, Najenda's heart sank. She gritted her teeth and flung her mechanical arm, which shot out a rope-tethered fist, wrapping it around Seika. Pulling him along, Seika's speed increased significantly.
But it was futile, having little effect. Kaguya tapped her foot lightly, swiftly closing the distance. In a flash, she appeared before Seika.
Seika's pupils contracted as he attempted to push off with his foot, using the recoil to dodge, but it was already too late.
Kaguya raised her arm, which was as smooth as jade, and, like a butterfly among flowers, struck Seika's chest with her palm.
Seika's chest caved in, and a crisp cracking sound of bones breaking followed—no one knew how many ribs were broken. His face turned deathly pale, and he spat a mouthful of crimson blood, like a misty spray in the air.
Taking such a powerful chakra-infused blow, Seika bled from his mouth and nose, his face ashen, with several ribs broken and seriously injured. His consciousness began to blur, and if Najenda hadn't been pulling him along with her mechanical arm, he would likely have collapsed, unconscious.
This was despite Najenda urgently pulling him back in the nick of time, preventing him from taking the full brunt of the strike. Had he taken it head-on, Seika would have been killed.
However, the attack still dealt a severe blow. It should be noted that Kaguya's first martial technique learned after crossing worlds was the Gentle Fist, and Seika had taken a direct hit from it. Even if the Gentle Fist doesn't make physical contact, it can still harm the enemy.
The Gentle Fist, under Kaguya's mastery, had become highly refined, though it had faded from prominence due to her stronger abilities and techniques. But this did not mean it lacked power, as evidenced by Seika's half-dead state.
Most importantly, the Gentle Fist consumed minimal energy, requiring little stamina and placing a small burden on the body, making it an ideal choice for Kaguya, who was greatly fatigued after successive battles.
Seeing that her attack had succeeded, Kaguya focused her gaze, lightly tapping her foot and advancing to finish Seika with another blow.
Just then, a dazzling light suddenly flashed in the distance, a white beam streaking toward Kaguya's unguarded back.
Only Mine, the sniper hiding afar, could launch such an attack.
With a roar, dust and smoke surged. As the dust settled, a silver-haired girl emerged from the haze. Surrounding her was a black, fluid-like shield that coalesced into several black orbs—Kaguya's Truth-Seeking Balls.
Kaguya furrowed her brows slightly, her clear eyes gazing into the distance. The battlefield no longer showed signs of her opponents; Najenda, Seika, and even Akame had vanished, leaving only scattered corpses and raging danger beasts. It seemed they had taken the opportunity to escape.
Kaguya considered giving chase but decided against it, as she might not catch them. Besides, she was already weary from successive battles, feeling a slight fatigue. It was better to rest for a while.
Furthermore, after taking her blow, Prince Seika would likely be critically injured if not dead. He wouldn't be able to recover quickly. The Gentle Fist's power lies not only in causing external injuries but also in disrupting internal meridians, pressure points, and even internal organs. It was a feat that he hadn't died on the spot.
With the battle concluded, Kaguya's guards had sustained significant damage but within an acceptable range. Despite the overwhelming odds, they had held firm, which was commendable.
The northern tribes had suffered genuine devastation, with over 100,000 soldiers perishing under Kaguya's hand. At the outset, she had used the Heavenly Obstacle Quaking Star to obliterate tens of thousands of northern tribes' fodder, while the remainder fell to her viral infection, transforming them into raging danger beasts. Countless soldiers perished at the hands of these beasts.
Gazing at the battlefield strewn with corpses and rivers of blood, Kaguya gently brushed her smooth silver hair, her lips curling slightly. After this fierce battle, the northern tribes would likely be severely weakened.
At that moment, a guardsman rushed over and knelt, reporting, "Princess, the remnants of the northern tribes have fled north. Shall we pursue them?"
"No need," Kaguya waved her hand dismissively. "Those stragglers are nothing to worry about. Clean up the battlefield and properly tend to the fallen guards."
"Yes, Princess, but…" The guardsman hesitated before finally speaking, "What about the danger beasts on the battlefield? Should they be cleared out?"
"There's no need," Kaguya replied nonchalantly. "They will disappear on their own shortly."